This past month our Leadership Summit coaches were taught a discipleship curriculum about reaching out to those around them.  Together, the coaches decided to go to a nursing home in their community as a way to come in contact with people they normally would not reach. In preparation, the coaches put together a small choir so that they could share Christ through song.

While at the nursing home, they read verses and made bracelets with the residents.  Not only were the people touched, but so many of the coaches were touched as well.  “I cried when they told us their individual stories,” said Patricia.  She went on to say how she was able to share with a man how God gives her strength and will give him strength as well.

“I met a woman and she told me that her children have not come to see her for a long time,” shared Busiswe. “I told her that as I speak to her, I am her child and I know that she is not alone because God is there for her everyday. I told her to put her trust in God because God does not leave His children alone; He takes care of them.”

Our coaches rock!

In our AIDS prevention program, our coaches are teaching our Save Sex curriculum. Instead of the common mindset of “safe sex”, we’re teaching young people to save sex for marriage. The coaches spoke out recently about how important it is to teach their students the value of saving sex until marriage.  They have taken the curriculum to heart and are focused on reaching all of their students with the truth about sex.  They are excited about the impact it can have on the youth in their community.

Mapuleng, one of our coaches, shared: “I want students to know the consequences of sex before marriage by dismissing the myths and increasing knowledge of the facts, including the Bible’s truth.”

Patricia, another coach, said that as she was showing the curriculum books to one of her classes, the students were so excited about how it looks like a magazine.  One of her students even recognized her cousin in one of the pictures and couldn’t wait to take it home to her family.

We are anticipating a great term with all the excitement that is in the air.

The past couple of months we’ve been looking for new coaches who have the passion, heart, and commitment to reach out to students in our Leadership Summit AIDS prevention program in Qwa Qwa.

When we finally found men and women that proved themselves worthy for the job, they had to face the challenging task of uniting with the existing coaches. We’ve spent the past few months bringing the new and old coaches together, training them as a team and bringing unity to the two groups. We’ve been helping them become closer than just coworkers; they’re becoming family.

We are so eager to see our program acquire new coaches each year because it means that our program is continuing to grow. Growth is good because it means that we can spread ourselves further and reach more students through our program.

No longer will it be new coaches and old coaches, but it will be the Leadership Summit coaches as one whole family. We are so proud of all them and cannot wait to see what God will do through them in this next term. We know that many students will be changed and that our coaches will continue to bring His light into Qwa Qwa.

Our coaches united together, learning more than just how to teach students, but how to reach out and touch their own community. They laid hands on, prayed for, and had faith for the sick.

“The Leadership Summit team went to Manapo Hospital. Our purpose was to visit the patients, to give them words of encouragement, to tell them that God loves them, and to pray with and for them. We started by paying a visit to the children’s ward. Then as guys we went to the men’s ward. We met more than eight patients who were suffering with different diseases like chest pains, TB, etc. We encouraged them that they are healed by the power of God. I want to thank God for giving us the chance to visit patients and pray with them.” -Joseph

“I got to the children ward to pray with them; then I met a young boy who was very ill. He didn’t speak with me because of his illness. I prayed with him and it touched my heart when I saw that boy in the situation. But I spoke the Word of God into his life and I know that God healed him because He is the healer of every sickness. After that I went to the female ward and I met an old lady who has had heart problems since 2006. She told me that she went to lots of doctors but none can help her. I told her that Doctor Jesus is here right now to meet her needs because everything is possible with God. She must never give up in that situation because God is there for her and she must allow Jesus to touch her life because she will never be the same again. I thank God for giving me this time to visit at the hospital.” -Mosia

Principals and teachers in Leadership Summit schools are seeing their students come alive to what God has planned for them. When asked about the changes he’s seen in his school, Mr. Lebone, the principal at Boitsebelo, replied, “Much has been done in terms of equipping students with tools and knowledge to make wise decisions. During the past years we had several learners who got pregnant, but we don’t have even one student who is pregnant this year.“

Mr. Potsane, the principal at Thaba-Bosin, wrote, “It’s an inspiration to others who want to learn more about reaching their destiny and realizing their dreams.”

Thank you for helping us be agents of eternal change in South Africa!

We had a Leadership Day on July 4th, and Jace, an intern and part of the Leadership Summit Department, had the opportunity to see just how much the values that are taught at the Leadership Days truly impact the students who attend.

She met two girls, Patricia and Olivia, and what started as a brief exchange of ‘Hello, how are you?’ quickly turned into a more serious conversation. The two girls shared with Jace all the things that have changed in their lives and in others’ lives as a result of what they learned at the past Leadership Day. Their eyes shone as they recounted how they’ve been working to positively impact their entire communities, not just their peers. Seeing their newfound passion for the betterment of their lives and others only served to encourage Jace, and to show her that the seemingly impossible goal of changing Africa is not only possible, but within reach.

Our coaches are not who they once were. They used to be quiet and reserved, and showed little self-confidence. Through teaching students on their own and continued weekly training, they have a newfound confidence in themselves that they never thought they could have. Much of their growth has been self-taught, self-discovered, and self-motivated through their seeking of God’s strength and wisdom for their daily lives. This is a huge step towards becoming the spiritual leaders that most of them never dreamed they had the potential to be!

“Since I have become a coach, I pray time and time again. I pray before and after class. I learned to ask God, because He will give you everything you need. I was shy before. Now, I am proud and have no more shyness. I have even talked in my church. I have improved so much.” -Patricia

“My life is different now since becoming a coach. Now I have that passion to stand in front of 100 kids, lecturing them about how they can reach their dreams. When I taught them I realized that I can reach my dreams too.” -Rebecca

Matt Peirce, one of our interns, wrote something on his blog recently that really resonated with my heart. You need to read this. It’s that good.

This morning I started binding thousands of curriculum with 5 other interns. At first glance, this is obvious behind-the-scenes work for the ministry. I see no people, I talk to nobody except the other interns, and I’m in the office close to 8 hours a day sitting in a chair. But I refuse to accept that the work I’m doing for the next three weeks is behind-the-scenes. Here’s why.

The books we are binding are Leadership Summit curriculum, specifically the Save Sex book. This curriculum teaches young people in Qwa Qwa how to save sex for marriage. It is full-color, interactive, and effective in changing the lives of youth. Teen pregnancy rates have dropped drastically in many of the schools where Leadership Summit has been taught for the past few years.

Every time I bind a book I’m giving a high school student a chance to learn how to make choices that will change their life. Every time I bind a book I’m helping a young person avoid AIDS. Every time I bind a book I am not behind-the-scenes, I am on the front lines of the battle to help change the continent for the better. God has privileged me with this work. Far be it from me to say that God was wrong in putting this task before me.

Here’s to an Africa that is not just a stereotype, but an Africa where people are strong, healthy, Godly, and completely sold out to Jesus Christ.

Interns, thank you for your dedicated hard work and positive attitudes. It’s all Kingdom business, and you are changing the continent of Africa. I am so proud of you!

Anyone who has ever served the Lord in ministry may ask a similar question: Do we ever know the difference the Lord makes in the people we disciple? Well, today we found some answers.

Leadership Day is an opportunity for students who have been recognized as leaders by their teachers to come and hear teachings on different leadership qualities. Today, the students were asked to bring an essay about what they have learned from past Leadership Day workshops, and how they have impacted their homes, schools, and communities. Reading their essays gave the Leadership Summit Department insight as to how the students have changed from their Leadership Day trainings. Several students were able to describe the leadership qualities that have been taught, but through their personal stories we were able to see how their lives have really changed.

Nthatisi wrote about students from her school that were orphans and could not afford to buy their own clothes. Therefore, she organized a project to have other students donate clothes, and now they have started a garden to grow food for them.

Thandi wrote about a time when she was walking down the street and came across 20 fellow students who were smoking. She told them that they should make the most of their opportunities in life, and that they could go to rehab. She told them about Leadership Summit and invited them to come learn with her. Now they have stopped smoking and thank her for what she has done for them. She wasn’t just telling them how they could be leaders, but she was showing them by transforming her words into actions.

Portia hosts workshops in her community. She teaches her peers about the beauty of the Lord and how He loves them. Everything she learns from Leadership Summit, she teaches her community.

Sometimes we never get to see the fruit of our ministry. But when we do, we thank the Lord for the glimpse He gives us!

I’m sure we’ve all found ourselves so caught up in our daily lives, that we lose sight of what it really means to live a life of purpose. As we’ve been teaching our Leadership Summit students, it takes intentionality to live a purposeful life.

Our coaches are working on intentionally living their lives to reflect what they are teaching their students. Each week they write down a specific thing they did that helped them live a life of purpose. The stories they have shared have been an encouragement to themselves, their fellow coaches, the Leadership Summit Staff, and even their students!

Jwalane: One of my friends came to me and told me that they have no food. My sister left me bread for breakfast, so I took the bread and gave it to my friend.

Thembi: I helped someone who couldn’t read. I went with him to the bank to explain the rules of investment to him, and filling out the forms for him because he doesn’t know how to write.

Joseph: Last week I met a boy who was having a problem with transport. I gave him taxi fare so that he didn’t need to walk a long distance.

Mapuleng: The last two weeks, a friend of mine was telling me her problems. She is married to an unbeliever, so I gave her my Sex, Love, and Relationships book to read and know more about what God says about marriage.